2026 ECOSOC Meeting on the transition from relief to development - Economic and Social Council, 27th Plenary Meeting

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I call to order the 27th meeting of the Economic and Social Council at its 2026 session. I invite the Council to continue its meeting on the transition from relief to development under Agenda Item 12, Coordination Program and Other Questions, and its items E, Long-Term Program of Support for Haiti, F, African countries emerging from conflict, and G, sustainable development in the Sahel. I first invite the Council to take action on two draft decisions contained in Document E/2026/L9 and E/2026/L10.

I second.

I invite the Council to proceed to take action on draft decision E/2026/L.9, entitled African countries emerging from conflict, as submitted by the Vice President of the Council responsible for the management segment, His Excellency Ammar Benjama of Algeria. I've been informed that the draft decision has no program budget implications. Does any delegation wish to make a statement in connection with the draft decision? May I take it that the Council wishes to adopt draft decision E/2026/L9? I hear no objection. The draft decision is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make a statement after the adoption of the draft decision? I next invite the Council to turn to draft decision E/2026/L.10. Entitled Sustainable Development in the Sahel, as also submitted by the Vice President of the Council responsible for the Management Segment, His Excellency Ammar Benjamaa of Algeria. I have been informed that the draft decision has no program budget implications. Does any delegation wish to make a statement in connection with the draft Decision.

Puedo considerar.

May I take it that the Council wishes to adopt Draft Decision L.10? I hear no objections. Draft Decision L.10 is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make a statement after the adoption of the draft decision? Excellencies, distinguished delegates. We shall now hold the second panel discussion on advancing durable solutions for internally displaced persons. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, internal displacement continues to rise globally amidst escalating conflict, climate shock, instability, and repeated crises. Record numbers of more than 8.2— 82.2 million internally displaced persons remain uprooted from their homes and communities, many for prolonged periods of time. In 2025 alone, displacements triggered by conflict and violence Rose by 60% to reach a record 32.3 million. The highest figure on record and the first time conflict displacement exceeded disaster displacement. For millions of people, displacement is no longer a short-term disruption. Many internally displaced persons remain displaced for years. And in some cases decades, facing persistent barriers to housing, livelihoods, education, health services, and social inclusion. Repeated violence, disasters, economic fragility, and weak institutional capacity continue to trap many communities in cycles of vulnerability and prolonged displacement. [SPEAKING HINDI] Supporting durable solutions requires sustained political commitment, stronger national systems, development, engagement, and long-term investment. In this regard, the Secretary-General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement and the 2024 Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review Resolution Both underscore the importance of more coordinated and development-anchored approaches to addressing internal development. Closing persistent financing gaps in this area calls for a whole-of-financing approach that mobilizes domestic and international public and private resources in support of nationally-led solutions. We also— we're also seeing increasing efforts across the United Nations system and among member states to integrate displacement more systematically into national development planning, social protection systems, livelihood programs, and broader recovery efforts. Today's panel focuses on how humanitarian development and financial actors can work in a more coherent and complementary manner to support countries and communities affected by prolonged internal displacement. Today's discussion will examine how governments, United Nations country teams, international financial institutions, and partners can strengthen cooperation to support durable solutions at greater scale. We will also explore how stronger national ownership, improved coordination, and more sustained financing can help reduce internal displacement and support pathways towards resilience, recovery, and inclusion.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

Importantly, today's panel will bring together perspectives from across the United Nations system, international financial institutions, civil society, and the field. We will hear practical experiences and lessons from contexts affected by fragility, conflict, and long-term displacement, including perspectives on livelihoods, social protection, development financing, and system-wide coordination. Excellencies, today's discussion offers an opportunity not only to reflect on these challenges, but also to identify practical ways to strengthen cooperation and support more durable outcomes for internally displaced persons.

Thank you.

I thank you all for your participation and engagement, and I look forward to today's discussion. I'm pleased to welcome our distinguished speakers for this discussion. I also welcome the moderator, Mrs. Mireia Villar Forner, Deputy Director at the Development Coordination Office, who will conduct the discussion. I look forward to an open— Thank you. Constructive and productive exchange of views. I give you the floor.

Thank you, Ambassador.

It's an honor to moderate the panel discussion on advancing durable solutions for internally displaced persons. Over recent years, ECOSOC has become an increasingly important platform to take stock of collective progress towards solutions to internal displacement. In particular, the Transitions Meeting from Relief to Development has evolved into a valuable forum to reflect on how humanitarian and development actors can work more efficiently in support of affected communities and countries. The Secretary-General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement has helped catalyze a more integrated approach across the UN system, and has strengthened engagement with governments and their partners. Thank you. In parallel, the QCPR has formally recognized internal displacement as a development challenge and reinforced the central role of resident coordinators in supporting system-wide action in line with national priorities. Across different contexts, we are seeing a gradual shift from predominantly humanitarian and often fragmented responses toward more coordinated, development-oriented, and government-led approaches. States affected by internal displacement are advancing nationally-led solutions at both the national and subnational levels. While progress can often be incremental, this reflects the time required to strengthen ownership, institutions, and partnerships to ensure that solutions are sustainable and effective. The UN support to governments is increasingly anchored in a more coherent, —system-wide approach that draws upon expertise across the humanitarian, development, peace, human rights, and climate pillars. Under Resident Coordinator leadership, the UN aligns support with national priorities through cooperation frameworks and national planning processes, and mobilizes catalytic financing for key priorities through the Internal Displacement Solutions Fund. Solutions Advisers based in Resident Coordinator offices help coordinate and mobilize efforts across the UN country teams. This is reinforced by the Interagency Global Solutions Hub on Internal Displacement hosted by DCO, which provides demand-driven advisory support, strengthens cross-country learning, and helps coordinate system-wide efforts whilst avoiding the creation of new mandates or heavy institutional layers. The challenge now is to draw on good practice and translate innovation into solutions at scale. Thank you. This will require sustained political commitment, stronger alignment between displacement responses and broader national priorities, greater mobilization of development financing, and continued efforts to strengthen coordinated delivery and learning across different contexts. With that, I now invite our distinguished panelists to share their perspectives on what they see is working, where challenges remain, and what more is needed to support governments in delivering sustainable and transformative results for internally displaced persons and communities. We will have Mr. Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees. We will also count with Maria Dimitriadou, Special Representative to the UN and Head of Multilateral Affairs at the World Bank; Ms. Shoko Noda, Director of the Crisis Bureau at the United Nations Development Programme and currently the annual convener of the UN Systemwide Support to Solutions to Internal Displacement; as well as Ms. Christine Knudsen, Vice President of the Humanitarian Team at InterAction; Ms. Shabnam Baloch, Country Director in South Sudan of Oxfam, who would to connect virtually, as well as Ms. Paula Gaviria Betancourt, who's the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, also joining virtually. Each speaker will be invited to deliver up to 7 minutes of opening remarks, after which we will open the floor for an interactive discussion. We will then return to each panelist for brief concluding remarks. Thank you. With this said, I would like to begin the opening interventions by asking the first question to Mr. Raouf Mazout, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. From UNHCR's perspective, what are the structural barriers—legal, financial, and institutional—that prevent internally displaced persons from accessing services and securing rights such as land, housing, and livelihoods? Additionally, how can we transition from immediate relief to long-term approaches that address the underlying drivers of displacement and support durable solutions? The floor is yours.

Thank you, Madam President.

The role that SOCA has been playing as an increasing— has been playing to in fostering dialogue, learning, and accountability on solutions to internal displacement. And to respond to your specific question, what are the structural barriers—legal, financial, or institutional—that have prevented internally displaced persons from accessing services, securing rights, such as land, housing, and livelihood? The first point I would make is The first barrier is the way IDPs are perceived by governments, by the relief community, as individuals requiring perpetual assistance and unable to fend for themselves. And the response provided is therefore not about securing rights such as land, housing, livelihood, etc., but it is about providing humanitarian assistance with limited resources, which by essence are focusing on life extreme needs. Another structural barrier that we can see is the uncertainty about how long the displacement would last, and it makes it difficult to plan and invest in long-term responses. In the lack of national legislation has also been, in some cases, an obstacle to support IDPs and to protect their rights. I would say that over the past few years, thankfully, and as a result of the SG report of the High-Level Panel, there's been an understanding of the need to see IDPs beyond just being recipient of aid, but also seeing them as individuals who can play an active role in the economy of the communities that are hosting them. And when we've seen the international community response change and evolve, and now seeing them truly as economic agents. That approach may not constitute a solution as such, but at least it is a step towards a solution. Looking now at your second question, how can we transition from immediate relief to long-term approaches that address the underlying drivers of displacement and support durable solutions? The first, I would say, is the willingness of the government concerned to address the issue of forced displacement differently from what was done before. And there needs to be an agreement with all actors to plan and implement the support to displaced persons in a different way from the beginning, with a long-term view from the beginning. What is key also is the fact that Self-reliance, as I said earlier, should not be seen as a solution but a step towards a solution. A few essential points that I would like to raise in that: first, the essential role that the local entities are playing, municipalities and local authorities; the importance of having area-based approaches; the need of early joined-up action, humanitarian, development, and peace actors from the beginning, and as I was mentioning earlier, the importance of having legislation, national legislation and policy. Essential also to shift from a humanitarian to development financing, and that structural shift is— essential to make sure that we have predictable support and multi-year support to respond to internal displacement. It's not about replacing humanitarian financing prematurely, but it's about complementing the humanitarian financing with development investments. It's also essential that the response to IDPs is integrated in national development plans. We are seeing that in a number of countries. I can cite Nigeria, I can cite Mozambique, I can cite Ethiopia, Somalia, and a number of other countries. And also to ensure a strong partnership with international financial institutions, which include the World Bank and other regional institutions. And finally, a very key We need to see that financing is aligned with national systems, including social protection services and livelihood. Back to you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Mazrouh. I'm turning now to Ms. Maria Dimitriadou, Special Representative to the UN and Head of Multilateral Affairs at the World Bank. We would be very interested to know how the World Bank Group approach in supporting IDPs and host communities so that we ensure a long-term development impact?

Thank you very much, Mireya, for the kind invitation. It's a great pleasure to join you, Excellencies, and dear partners. Let me build on the excellent intervention of the Assistant High Commissioner. Internal displacement is a major challenge facing the international community today, and it is, of course, a humanitarian challenge, but it's also a profound development For many people, displacement is not a temporary disruption. It becomes a long-term reality that affects access to livelihoods, services, housing, education, and ultimately the ability to rebuild a stable and dignified life. That is why durable solutions require more than emergency support alone. They require sustained engagement from development institutions, working in close partnership with humanitarian actors, and above all, with national governments. From the World Bank Group's perspective, our approach is centered on one practical objective, to support both IDPs and the communities that host them in ways that strengthen systems, expand inclusion, and create long-term development impact. First, the practical commitment. IDPs must be visible in the design and implementation of development operations. This is one of the most important contributions we can make. Too often displaced populations remain outside formal systems, absent from registries, or underserved because of barriers related to documentation, land, housing, mobility, or livelihoods. And as a result, they may be overlooked even where significant development investments are being made in the same areas. So our approach is very straightforward. In countries with large internally displaced populations, we want to ensure that they are included in all relevant projects. This is not a separate track or a special window. It is a mainstreaming commitment. Where we are investing in health, education, housing, livelihoods, or local infrastructure in displacement-affected countries, IDPs should be among the intended beneficiaries. At the same time, our approach also recognizes the long-term impact— that long-term impact depends on supporting host communities as well. In many contexts, local systems and services are already under strain If development support reaches only one group, it can deepen pressure and undermine social cohesion. On the contrary, if it is designed well, it can strengthen resilience for both displaced people and the communities receiving them. This kind of inclusion requires deliberate attention. It is not— it's not something that is happening automatically. The second point I would like to make is that we give effect to this commitment in the World Bank Group through our environmental and social Framework, as we call the ESF. The framework is not just a safeguard instrument, it is an operational tool for inclusion. Under this framework, our teams are required to identify vulnerable and marginalized groups, including displaced populations, during project preparation. And this means assessing their specific circumstances, the barriers they face in accessing services and opportunities, and designing project components that explicitly reach them.

Thank you.

In practical terms, this may mean ensuring that beneficiary identification processes do not unintentionally exclude IDPs because they lack documentation or formal registration. It may mean designing housing and livelihood support in ways that reflect the land tenure and mobility constraints that displaced people often face. And it may mean strengthening local service in ways that benefit both displaced and host communities. —helping to support inclusion, resilience and social cohesion over time. This is how we think about long-term development impact—not through parallel systems, but by strengthening the institutions, services and local capacities that people rely on in their daily lives. Which brings me to the third point: working together across institutions and leveraging our complementary mandates and strengths. Because durable solutions need to be part of a broader development approach and effort. They cannot be treated as a parallel agenda. That is why we place such importance on working closely with partners across humanitarian development and the broader multilateral system, and on ensuring complementarity between our respective roles and instruments. This kind of complementarity is already taking shape in practical ways, including through our engagement with the United Nations Global Solutions Hub, including UNDP, IOM, and UNHCR, all— IOM. Partners in this room, as we prepared guidance on applying our environmental and social framework in displaced— displacement-affected settings. The World Bank is committed to being a reliable and constructive partner in these processes, bringing to the table our development mandate, our financing, and our operational engagement in support of longer-term impact. And as we are talking about partnerships, colleagues, allow me to take a moment to thank Raouf Mazou for for his outstanding leadership through his mandate, his tireless efforts, his invaluable contribution to the partnership with the World Bank Group, and his friendship.

Thank you very much, Rolf.

Long-term development impacts will not come from humanitarian assistance, colleagues, alone. To conclude, it will come when development institutions consistently include displaced people in their operations, when host communities are supported alongside them, when governments lead, when partners work together in ways that are practical, sustained, and grounded in country realities. And we very much welcome ECOSOC's efforts to this action-oriented agenda. We are here and doing our part and look forward to continue working together. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Dimitrou. Now I'd like to turn to Ms. Shoko Noda, the Director of the Crisis Bureau at the United Nations Development Programme. Joining today as the annual convener of the UN System-Wide Support to Solutions to Internal Displacement. And my question is, what are the UNDP's key priorities for strengthening system-wide support to IDPs and ensuring more coherent, development-oriented support to governments to help bring solutions at greater scale for affected communities?

Thank you, Mireya. Good to see you in New York. Mr. Vice President Bensausme, Mr. Vice President Gomes, Excellencies, distinguished panelists, colleagues, on behalf of the UN Solutions Champions Group on Internal Displacement, I'm very pleased to participate in today's discussion. As annual convener of the group in 2026, UNDP is honored to advance this agenda together with IOM, UNHCR, OCHA, PBSO, DCO, Special Rapporteur on the Humanitarian Rights of IDPs, and all the partners, including the World Bank, and across the UN and humanitarian system. Today, more than 82 million people are internally displaced worldwide. While displacement often begins as a humanitarian crisis, Experience shows that it cannot be resolved through just humanitarian action alone, and we have already heard. What we need is durable solutions to promote self-resilience of those displaced. These durable solutions for internal displacement depend on effective institutions, inclusive development, functioning public services, economic opportunities, and sustained investment. Ultimately, solutions are about ensuring that displacement no longer determines a person's access to rights, services, and opportunities. This understanding has increasingly shaped the UN system-wide response under the Secretary-General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement. Thank you. Durable solutions are also central to responsible humanitarian transition. They provide a pathway for moving from humanitarian assistance towards nationally-led systems. How do we do that? Through strengthening institutions, expanding access to services and livelihood, and embedding displacement within broader development efforts. When managed well, and it should be managed well, this enables a gradual and also steady reduction in humanitarian caseloads while ensuring that displaced people are not left behind. Important progress has been made. Governments are increasingly integrating displacement into national development plans, policies, and financial— financing frameworks. Across many countries, displacement is increasingly being recognized as a development and governance challenge requiring long-term solutions. The recent Stocktake Report on the Secretary-General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement estimates that 16.9 million internally displaced persons and returnees are now covered by government endorsement— endorsed solution strategies across 21 priority countries. This is up from 11.6 million in 2024. Today, 76% of priority countries report that solutions to internal displacement are reflected in national or subnational development plans, and we have seen that in different countries. The questions before us today is how to build on this progress, and deliver solutions at scale. From the perspective of UN Solutions Champions, 4 priorities stand out. First, strengthening and supporting government leadership and ownership. Governments are best placed to define priorities, coordination stakeholders, and integrate displacement into national and local development processes. Our role is to support national lead pathways and strengthen the institutions and systems that can sustain progress over time. We are seeing encouraging examples of this leadership across different regions. In Somalia, the National Transformation Plan aims to support 1 million internally displaced persons to move out of displacement situations, by 2029 and positions durable solutions as a national development priority. In Colombia, where, Mileya, you just came from, the national policy seeks to ensure displacement— displaced people can exercise their rights and citizenship autonomously through stronger institutions, access to services, livelihoods, and territorial development. Second, strengthening UN system-wide coherence around government priorities. Internal displacement cuts across housing, livelihood, education, health, social protection, climate resilience, and peacebuilding. No single institution can address these challenges alone. This is why the Resident Coordinators and the UNCT United Nations country teams play a critical role in bringing together humanitarian, development, and peace and climate actors in support of the government-led solutions. For example, in Mozambique, the Resident Coordinator's Office, humanitarian actors, development agencies, and government institutions have worked together to support the implementation of the National Displacement Strategy. Thank you. Linking humanitarian response with recovery, reconstruction, and to local development efforts. Third, strengthening data and evidence for decision-making. Governments are keen to identify who remains vulnerable because of displacement, what barriers persist, and where investment can have the greatest impact. Nationally owned data and monitoring systems are essential for setting priorities, targeting investments, strengthening accountability, and measuring progress over time. In Somalia, for example, one of the 6 pillars of the national plans is dedicated to data for solutions. In Colombia, the national policy identifies stronger information management and data generation system to overcome institutional barriers and improve targeting, planning, and accountability. The fourth, the strengthening development financing for solutions. In many countries, the challenge is no longer absence of strategy. The challenge is funding their implementation at scale. This requires stronger alignment between national solutions strategies, public investment planning, development cooperation, and international financial institutions. Development financing is essential to ensure that internally displaced persons, returnees, and host communities are included within broader development efforts and are not left behind. In closing, the United Nations remains fully committed to supporting governments in advancing durable solutions. Thank you. The priority now is to translate the progress in policy and planning into tangible improvements in the lives of displaced people and the community that hosts them. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Noda. Now turning to Ms. Knudsen, Vice President of Humanitarian Policy and Practice at InterAction. In a context of shrinking and more fragmented ODA, how can partners align financing and policy reforms to address the structural barriers that prevent IDPs from accessing rights, services, and livelihoods at scale.

Madam Moderator, and thank you to all for convening this important session today. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, and fellow panelists, it is a pleasure to be with you. I do represent InterAction, and for those who are not aware, It is a coalition of some 150 international non-governmental organizations working across humanitarian and development programming around the world, and I wish to bring some of that perspective into your deliberations today. Let me thank you again for convening this discussion at this pivotal moment, as we are meeting at a time when internal displacement is indeed rising, needs are deepening, and resources are tightening. We know this. All of us know this. And critically, we are asking ourselves an even more important question, one that takes us back to first principles: whether the system we have built is delivering real outcomes for people, not simply activities and mandates. Today, as a voice of civil society, I would like to bring that question into the room and focus on one issue we see consistently across contexts, the gap between the systems as they are built and the outcomes that people actually experience. First, it's important to remind ourselves that internal displacement is not a formal legal status. It is a condition, a description. People cannot remain IDPs indefinitely, displaced within their own countries eternally. The objective is not to better manage displacement, but to ensure that people and societies can move beyond it through full participation in social, economic, and political life. And against a background of financial contraction, for IDPs, the real question is not whether we can mobilize more funding across fragmented streams, but whether we can align the finance, policy, and programming around outcomes that reduce harm, promote rights, and enable inclusion. The financing question matters, insofar as it helps people become safer, less excluded, less vulnerable to exploitation, and better able to access rights, services, and livelihoods. That is the test. And from that perspective, I would like to highlight 5 brief observations. First, that fragmented financing is producing fragmented outcomes. We continue to fund services, systems, and sectors in parallel, although we are finding new models as they are emerging across the system. For displaced people, oftentimes these systems are interconnected. A lack of legal identity, for example, will limit access to services, jobs, and protection simultaneously. When financing is fragmented, protection risks and exclusion remain fragmented as well. In crisis settings, We cannot focus on macroeconomics alone without also considering choices that center the specific needs of displaced populations to equitable access and services and rights. Solutions need to be embedded in broader national financing strategies, as many of my co-panelists have already mentioned, with governance mechanisms, diagnostics, and financing reforms that align across humanitarian, development, and peace efforts. Second, we are, for the most part, still financing activities more than inclusion. We measure effort through delivery, programs, outputs, infrastructure, but not consistently through the idea of people being able to integrate into national systems or fully participate in economic life. Durable solutions require financing that is explicitly, intentionally tied to inclusion outcomes: access to services, livelihoods, social protection, and participation. Third, integration and protection outcomes depend on the enabling environment, not service delivery alone. Across contexts, the most persistent barriers are indeed structural: lack of documentation, restrictions on movement, restrictions on employment, weak local governance, exclusion from systems and basic services. Thank you. Without addressing these constraints, we limit impact regardless of the level of financing or coordination. Fourth, we need to move beyond linear notions of transition. People do not experience crisis and recovery in sequence. In many contexts, humanitarian need, recovery, and development dynamics coexist. The real objective is not transition alone, but integration into systems, economies, and communities, even in ongoing crisis settings. And finally, partnership must mean more than coordination. It must include local ownership and trust. Social cohesion and sustainable solutions are built locally. NGOs—non-governmental organizations—local actors are essential not only in delivery, but in connecting systems to people, navigating complex environments, and supporting inclusion at the community level. Yet these are rarely resourced or engaged as full partners in shaping solutions. And let me close with just 3 brief reflections. First, internal displacement is not a permanent category. It is a temporary condition, and we must remain committed to that temporary condition as our objective must be to support people to move beyond it.

Thank you.

Second, the core challenge is indeed integration—social, economic, and political. In protracted displacement contexts, the distinction between humanitarian and development becomes much less meaningful. What matters is whether we collectively enable inclusion, equity, and participation with governments, local authorities, community leadership, and service providers. And third, this underscores the importance of local actors. Local civil society is uniquely positioned to build trust, support social cohesion, and enable the kinds of integration that durable solutions require. If we align financing, policy, and partnerships around reducing harm, challenging discriminatory policies and practices, and enabling inclusion, we do indeed have a pathway towards solutions that are meaningful and sustainable. If we continue to finance fragmented systems without addressing these underlying barriers,, we are likely to continue to fall short, regardless of how much we invest. Thank you.

Thank you indeed. I would like now to turn to Ms. Shabnam Baloch. She's Oxfam's Country Director in South Sudan and should be connected virtually. Good to see you. So, from the perspective of national— sorry, NGOs, civil society, and women-led and women's rights organizations working in fragile and displacement-affected contexts? How can we strengthen systems to better recognize and enable their contributions to durable solutions, and ensure that the lived experiences of diverse groups, particularly women and girls, are meaningfully reflected in how success is defined and measured? Over to you. She's the Oxfam's Country Director in South Sudan.

Thank you, Madam Moderator, Excellencies, distinguished panelists, and delegates.

So from the perspective of national NGOs, civil society, and human rights organizations, Sorry to interrupt you for a second while we resolve this sound issue. Otherwise, it's difficult to hear you. If you could bear with us for a second, please.

Thank you. I hope I am audible. Thank you, Excellencies. On behalf of Oxfam International, I am really thankful for this opportunity to contribute to this important discussion on durable solutions for internally displaced persons.

Ms. Baloch, apologies to interrupt you again. Sorry to interrupt you for a second while we resolve this sound issue, otherwise it's difficult to hear you. If you could bear with us for a second, please. Would you be so kind to mute your computer to see whether that's the issue? Thank you.

Ma'am, apologies. This is the UN technician. Can you lower the volume on your laptop? Because there's feedback coming back from the room to your laptop. Just turn down the volume on your laptop. Not all the way, but just down enough that you can hear the—

Yeah, apologies again. If you've been able to mute, I think we can proceed, and apologies for having to hear me in a loop 5 times. Please go ahead, Ms. Baloch.

My apologies. This is the UN technician. Can you lower the volume on your laptop? Because there's feedback coming back from the room to your laptop. Just turn down the volume on your laptop.

Can you hear me now?

Not all the way, but just down enough that you can hear.

Am I audible now? Can somebody confirm?

Yeah, apologies again. If you've been able to mute, I think we can proceed. And apologies for having to hear me in a loop 5 times.

Please go ahead, Ms.

Baloch. Ms. Baloch, we're going to try to resolve this protracted sound problem. If that's okay with you, I would like to give the word to Paula Gaviria while we try to resolve it with the technician. Apologies once more. So I would like to give the floor to Ms. Gaviria Betancourt. How can protection against discrimination, secure tenure, access to justice, and respect for IDPs' choices be fully integrated into durable solutions to help prevent further displacement and human rights violations? The floor is yours.

Thank you, Chair, Excellencies. Can you hear me okay? Okay, so today's question goes to the heart of what makes solutions to internal displacement truly durable. Displacement brings profound losses of homes, of lands, of livelihoods and stability, while deepening inequality and pushing people to the margins of society and the economy. Addressing these losses and exclusion goes beyond humanitarian action we've heard today. It is a long-term development challenge. And durable solutions are about restoring full and equal citizenship. And IDPs must be able to access rights, services, opportunities without discrimination linked to their displacement. And done right, durable solutions are an investment in more inclusive, resilient, equitable societies where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. So let me briefly highlight 4 key areas that you mentioned, Mireya, in your question. First, protection against discrimination. Discrimination is often both the cause and a consequence of displacement, and IDPs frequently face exclusion from public services, barriers to employment and housing, social stigma in host communities. We have seen in Somalia that IDPs from minority clans face systematic discrimination in access to land, to justice, to services. Addressing this requires embedding non-discrimination in laws and policies, already said today, ensuring equitable access to services, investing in social cohesion. We have seen progress mentioned today, but I wanted to say Ukraine has important progress where legal reforms driven in part by IDPs themselves enabled them to vote where they were displaced to. Strengthen their political inclusion. Strong humanitarian-development collaboration can help tackle discrimination, with humanitarian actors identifying and addressing immediate protection risks and exclusion while development actors tackle the structural drivers that allow the discrimination to take place. Second, secure tenure is the backbone of stability. Without it, IDPs face eviction, find it harder to rebuild livelihoods and are reluctant to invest in the future. In Colombia, IDPs face social stigma and discrimination in the housing market. They also face marginalization and informal settlements with high levels of insecurity and violence, weak state presence, and barriers to accessing public services. Progress is being made through the legalization of informal settlements as part of a broader solution strategy policy And this approach integrates IDPs locally alongside host communities and returnees while expanding access to housing services and state presence. Humanitarian and development actors can build a shared evidence base on tenure insecurity, eviction risks, and barriers to enjoyment of housing rights. And development actors can use the evidence to support municipal planning, settlement upgrading, and policy reform to improve access to adequate housing. Third, access to justice. Durable solutions cannot exist where IDPs' grievances remain unresolved. And many IDPs lack the documentation, the financial means, the trust in institutions required to lodge complaints for violations suffered. We have seen in Myanmar, judicial systems, conflict-related insecurity, fear of retaliation severely limit access to justice for displaced populations. Many are unable to pursue remedies for serious human rights violations. And addressing these requires removing procedural barriers, expanding legal aid, mobile justice, and strengthening accessible and impartial institutions. Possible examples exist. Colombia, we have the Victims and Land Restitution Law and the Special Jurisdiction for Peace. They both provide pathways for IDPs to seek reparations, to participate in proceedings and pursue land restitution. Humanitarian organizations can provide protection-sensitive outreach, legal information, accompaniment for IDPs who fear retaliation on the formal systems. And development actors, in turn, can support long-term investments in accessible, impartial, and functioning systems, administrative and justice systems, and local governance, as said by Shoko. Thank you. And fourth, respect of IDPs' choices. This is crucial. Durable solutions must be voluntary, informed, and dignified. And IDPs must be able to choose between return, local integration, or settlement elsewhere. Too often returns are promoted prematurely while other options are under-supported. To address this, we must ensure access to accurate information, invest in all settlement options equally, and enable meaningful participation of IDPs, not just consultation as we've heard today, but co-designing. As an IDP leader of a local NGO in Honduras told me, Durable solutions are built daily in communities. The organizations rooted in these territories are not temporary implementing partners. They are the living infrastructure that sustains the resilience, the trust, and the long-term recovery. Investing in them means investing in permanence. We must also recognize diverse needs—women, youth, older persons, persons with disability—that they must shape their solutions. When choices are constrained, solutions are neither durable or rights compliant. Humanitarian-development actors need to work together to protect voluntary choice, providing accurate, accessible, and regularly updated information. Humanitarian actors can encourage the co-designing of durable solutions with IDPs and monitor protection issues during solutions processes, while development actors can help governments create viable settlement options through urban inclusion, housing, services, livelihoods. Excellencies, as the chair stated, this transition meeting from leave to development has evolved into a valuable forum to reflect on how humanitarian, development, and peace actors can work together more effectively in support of affected communities and countries. The UN system-wide response to internal displacement is bearing fruit. The recently published stocktake that Shoko referred to shows encouraging momentum where RC leadership, as Bireya in Colombia, has enabled strong convening and coordination. But I call on us to do more. I urge member states to recognize internal displacement not only as a humanitarian concern, but as a core economic and social development challenge, as María mentioned. Establishing the conditions for durable solutions to internal displacement must be systematically included in local and national development planning processes. As Raúl mentioned, I call on UNCTs, and RCs to support governments to align IDP solutions with broader national priorities on poverty reduction, local development, urban inclusion, jobs, services, and involve municipalities and local authorities in the planning and implementation and the financing. There is still much more that the UN system can do on internal displacement. I urge member states, especially those hosting large numbers of IDPs and those committed to economic and social inclusion, To put this issue firmly in the agenda of the UN Second Committee's economic development pillar and the Third Committee's social development pillar. Internal displacement should figure more prominently in the work as it cuts across poverty, jobs, urbanization, food security, social development. If we are serious about durable solutions, it must be reflected more clearly in General Assembly resolutions and across the UN highest policy and coordination forums. And let me conclude with one message from the same IDP leader from Honduras. Time and again, experience shows that when community structures weaken, displacement becomes cyclical. Durable solutions therefore require us to go beyond individual assistance and invest in rebuilding the social fabric, the networks of belonging, safety, opportunity, that allow people to remain, to return, and rebuild their lives with dignity. Integrating non-discrimination, secure tenure, access to justice, and respect for choice is much more than a protection imperative. It is a development necessity and a prevention strategy. If we get this right, we reduce the risk of future displacement and build more inclusive, resilient societies. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. De Oliveira. Thank you, Chair.

Many thanks to you, Ms. Gaviria, our Special Rapporteur on the Rights of IDPs. Unfortunately, we haven't yet been able to resolve the technical problem in our connection with Ms. Baloch, the Oxford Country Director in South Sudan. Apparently, the challenges are at her end. We will persevere, but so not to have you waiting, I'm going to proceed with our open dialogue. Please remember that this session is intended to have an interactive discussion with panel speakers, and as such, interventions should be brief and not exceed 3 minutes for individual delegations and 5 minutes for those that are speaking on behalf of groups. So I open the floor.

And I would like—

to open our open dialogue with the representative of Haiti. You have the floor.

Merci, merci, Madame.

Thank you. Thank you, Madame Moderator. Thank you, Mr. President. President, ladies and gentlemen, This morning, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, made an official visit to Haiti, and I'd like to make the most of having the floor to wish him a good trip and to thank him for this display of solidarity to the Haitian people. These thanks are also extended to ECOSOC for organizing this meeting. We applaud the leadership of the vice presidents as well as the panelists who are guiding this debate and who came and shared their expertise and their know-how with everyone present here in the room this afternoon. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] In Haiti, we are seeing a multiplication of crises caused by issues to do with security and climate shocks that have led to internal displacement the internal displacement of close to 2 million people, and also due to widespread violence and the activities of criminal gangs. Behind this sobering statistic, there are individual faces, families torn apart, women, girls, and children deprived of their homes. These are people who legitimately aspire to security, dignity, and autonomy.

Thank you.

The government has undertaken some quite courageous initiatives, such as, for example, the official opening of the management of shelter structures called the Women and Girl Survivors of Gender-Based Violence Homes, as well as structures that are managed in partnership with UN agencies, the coordination of humanitarian aid, and the provision of relocation programs. Emergency humanitarian assistance remains vital, and here I wish to applaud the courage of national and international actors, some of whom are present here in this room. Who are operating on the ground, often putting their own lives in danger. However, we must look at the reality. Emergency humanitarian aid, by definition, treats the wounds rather than treating the root causes, and it should not become a permanent way of doing things. We need to definitively break the cycle of recurring crises, and in order to do this, we need to adopt a strategic and audacious approach and accelerate the real transition and make it orderly and lasting, moving from assistance to inclusive development. The government of Haiti has continuously repeated this message in all international fora, including here at the United Nations. That is, that development requires a climate of peace, stability, and security. It's necessary to continue to work together so that these conditions are met to reduce unemployment, to combat hunger, and to enable our national economies to recover. The implementation of Resolution E.226(L).27 E.226(L).27 is based around 3 priority pillars. First of all, we must prioritize lasting solutions for internally displaced persons. Support, which must be voluntary, into reintegration. This is something that is built, that needs to be delivered, and it requires huge immediate investment in basic infrastructure. Access to healthcare, education, and above all, the creation of economic opportunities and decent jobs. We need to provide displaced persons the means they require to move from being passive beneficiaries of aid to key actors in the rebuilding of their communities. Secondly, this transition requires an unprecedented strengthening of national institutions and local governance. No transition can be lasting without a strong sense of national ownership. [SPEAKING RUSSIAN] It's necessary to ensure that we don't go around local and state structures. What we need to do is invest in strengthening their institutional and technical capacities so that the state can fully assume its stately role and engage and implement its own recovery policy. Thirdly, we need to rethink the financing of context of crises. Current mechanisms are too often in silos, rigid, and they're unpredictable.

Thank you very much.

Very well.

I mean to cut you off completely.

I will wrap up in a minute. So therefore, today we're advocating for a new strategic partnership because development is not an option, it's a moral imperative. Let us make sure that the commitments made here in New York lead to the delivery of concrete actions. Thank you.

I now give the floor to Guatemala, please.

Thank you very much, distinguished Vice Presidents, moderator, speakers, delegates. Good afternoon to all of you. I'd like to begin by Thanking the excellent presentations made by the keynote speakers who have really delivered very valuable statements. Internal displacement is one of the most complex challenges in the international sphere, fostered by poverty, climate change, inadequate access to services, food insecurity, and other factors. Guatemala acknowledges that this challenge cannot be addressed uniquely solely from a humanitarian sphere, but includes a holistic approach that involves resilience, development, and other aspects. In our country, we have advanced in this approach through local— focus on local communities by putting priority on comprehensive support for displaced communities through humanitarian assistance, basic services, protection, and psychosocial support in coordination with public policies and territorial development programs to strengthen sustainable capacities and reduce structural causes of displacement. This approach acknowledges that lasting solutions require state ownership, inter-institutional coordination, and sustainable financing, as well as the integration of displacement into national development plans to ensure access to livelihoods, services, and protection. Guatemala considers it fundamental to advance towards a change in paradigm that overcomes fragmented responses and promotes coherent strategies that link humanitarian action with development and peace as a commitment to human rights and the well-being of people, persons. Thank you very much.

Gracias, Amsterdã.

Thank you.

I would like now to give I give the floor to the representative from Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Thank you, Madam Moderator. My intervention today focuses on the core principles of the UN Charter: dignity, peace, development, human rights, and their application in the Caribbean region. Jean-Jacques Dessalines once stated, and I quote, freedom is not something that one people can Bestow on another as a gift, they claim it as their own and none can keep it from them. The people of Haiti and the Caribbean long ago claimed their fundamental freedoms. What is needed now is the freedom to develop sustainably, resiliently, as we renew our pledge to the Caribbean as a zone of peace. Sincere Senavis posits that Haiti's security is Caribbean security. Enhanced humanitarian cooperation is therefore core to this agenda, from internally displaced persons to public health to climate mobility. As our anxieties run high this hurricane season, I do not need to elaborate what this means for the vulnerable people of the Caribbean. Hurricane Melissa showed last year the severe structural problems we face amid climate heating, biodiversity loss, and runaway pollution. Amid this backdrop, SINKIT SINNEVIS reiterates its call for the mainstreaming of the Nansen Initiative on Disaster-Induced Displacement, the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index across all international financial institutions, institutions and multi— and MDBs. We also reaffirm our strong support for the establishment and operation— operation— and implementation of the UN Support Office in Haiti. We align with the Caribbean community, which recognizes that progress on improving the security environment in the Caribbean and Haiti is urgent, and call on regional and international partners to alleviate the humanitarian hardships endured by millions of Haiti's most vulnerable people, including the elderly, women, youth, and especially as our region faces an alarming El Niño system, as warned by the UNSG.

Thank you.

Saint Kitts and Nevis will continue to advocate for the dignity of Haitian and Caribbean people, including through the ongoing engagement with the Caricom Eminent Persons Group. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I would like to give the floor to one of our NGO representatives, Secours Islamique France. Vous avez la parole.

I have the floor.

Madame Directrice, Madame Director, Vice President, delegates, I thank you for giving me the floor. I'd like To raise two essential points that I believe deserve growing attention in implementing lasting solutions. First of all, the issue of natural disasters that evolve slowly, such as drought. This phenomenon is one of the most underestimated humanitarian crises related to climate change. This is not only environmental challenges, but crisis of fundamental rights that contributes to millions of displaced peoples, because these are more diffused and complex crises than sudden disasters. These phenomena are insufficiently documented, but their impact has been confirmed. They exacerbate access to natural resources, including conflicts among host communities and displaced communities. This fragilizes stability of territories. Also, we know that persons already displaced by other crises are particularly exposed. It's essential to promote adapted responses in terms of risk reduction, early warning, sustainable solutions, but also in terms of coherence of public policies by strengthening coordination between humanitarian, peace, and peacebuilding efforts. I wanted to ask the following question: How can these specific challenges be incorporated into the current discussion on the sustainable solutions and the work of integrating displaced persons in national development plans and other planning frameworks at the state level in response to climate change and drought. The next point I want to raise is the role of young people and children in terms of lasting solutions. Young people and children are among the most affected, exposed to drought, lack of access to education, lack of opportunities, and long-term responses require incorporating their risk— these risks. Young people are not only— are also key actors in providing innovative responses. How can we guarantee their active and meaningful participation in elaborating and implementing lasting solutions, and how can we ensure that responses provide— take into account the specific needs of young people and children. Thank you very much.

I'm very interested in hearing the comments of the panellists on these important challenges. Thank you.

I'd like to give the floor to the representative from Georgia.

Thank you, Madam Moderator. For Georgia, the issue of internal displacement remains both a humanitarian and a long-term development challenge. It is well known that Georgia has one of the highest per capita IDP population in the world, resulting from the illegal occupation of 20% of Georgia's territory by the Russian Federation. As a result, up to 300,000 IDPs, approximately 95,000 families are registered in the country. As a country that continues to host hundreds of thousands of IDPs, we have learned that durable solutions require sustained political commitment and the integration of displacement-related needs into broader development policies and programs. Thank you. Housing remains one of the most important pillars of durable solutions. Georgia implements several accommodation programs tailored to the diverse needs of displaced families. Importantly, housing provided under these programs is transferred into private co-ownership of all family members, enabling IDPs to fully enjoy property rights. Particular attention is also given to ensuring accessibility for persons with disabilities. In 2023, the government launched a large-scale construction program that will provide housing for approximately 7,000 IDP families, including those currently residing in collective centers. Our objective is to close all remaining collective centers by the end of 2026 and ensure dignified durable housing solutions for all families living in such facilities. To support these efforts, around $340 million US dollars will be allocated between 2026 and 2030 for accommodation programs alone. At the same time, durable solutions extend beyond housing. Access to livelihoods, employment, education, healthcare, and social protection is essential for achieving long-term inclusion. Georgian IDPs participate in all major national development programs as equal citizens, including the universal healthcare system, employment initiatives, vocational education programs, rural development schemes, and income generation projects. The Government of Georgia continues its efforts to to protect the rights of IDPs and provide them with decent living conditions, as well as durable social services and housing solutions until their voluntary, safe, and dignified return to their places of origin. I thank you, Madam Moderator.

Thank you indeed. I'd like to give the floor to the representative from Indonesia.

Thank you, Madam Moderator. Indonesia aligns with the importance of advancing durable solutions for internally displaced persons. We wish to share our national experience and perspective. In Indonesia, internal displacement is primarily driven by disasters caused by natural hazards, including earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. These shapes our domestic frameworks. Indonesia approach to IDPs is therefore inseparable from our disaster management architecture anchored in Law No. 24 of 2007 on disaster management and Law No. 7 of 2012 on social conflict management. Under this framework, the government bears the primary responsibility for protecting and assisting displaced population at all phases, from prevention, response, and durable solutions. Crucially, IDPs are entitled to the same rights as all citizens, including access to basic needs, social protections, education, and meaningful participation in decision-making. Local communities serve as first responders, and subnational governments play a central role in implementation. Thank you. Madam Moderator, panelists, Indonesia recognizes that the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement provide an important normative reference. At the same time, we underscore that national contexts vary. Effective, durable solutions must be government-led, grounded in domestic legal frameworks, and sensitive to the specific drivers of displacement in each country. We also note the critical importance of aligning humanitarian response with longer-term development financing. Indonesia supports the shift toward development-anchored approaches, including stronger engagement with international financial institutions, while affirming that national ownership and community-level involvement remain non-negotiable. As displacement figures globally continue to rise while ODA contracts, Indonesia would like to ask the panelists, how can international financing mechanism particularly international financial institution instruments and UN system support, be better tailored to accommodate diverse national frameworks for internal displacement, including those where natural disasters are the primary driver, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approaches? Thank you.

Thank you very much. We take note of the question, and I'd like to give the floor to the representative from Armenia.

Thank you, Madam Moderator. Armenia recognizes the profound impact that displacement can have both on affected populations and host communities. Our experience has demonstrated that sustainable responses to displacement require coordinated action that brings together humanitarian, development, and other relevant actors around shared Following the humanitarian crisis in our region, Armenia, in close cooperation with the UN agencies, has advanced policies and frameworks aimed at supporting the protection, inclusion, and long-term integration of vulnerable groups through approaches grounded in the humanitarian-development and peace nexus. Armenia continues its cooperation with relevant UN bodies and experts to further strengthen its legislative and policy framework concerning IDPs in line with international standards and best practices. We believe that a successful transition from relief to development must remain firmly human-centered. It should encompass timely, adequate, and unhindered humanitarian assistance with particular attention to those in the most vulnerable situations while creating pathways for long-term recovery and inclusion. In this regard, access to adequate housing, education, healthcare, employment opportunities, And social protection should be integrated into national development strategies. Equally important is strengthened cooperation among UN entities, international financial institutions, development partners, and national authorities to support national-led transitions, build resilience, and sustain recovery efforts. Only through coherent and inclusive approaches can we ensure that IDPs are not left behind and are able to enjoy equal opportunities to participate fully in society. I thank you.

Thank you very much. Allow me to give the floor to the representative from the United Kingdom.

Thank you, Chair, and thank you to our briefers. For the UK, the ability to deliver durable solutions for IDPs is a critical test of whether we can make the transition from relief to development a reality, and UN reform a reality, not just in policy but in practice as well. Clearly, important progress has already been made. The Secretary-General's Action Agenda strengthened Resident Coordinator leadership, and mechanisms such as the Solutions Hub and Fund are shifting the response towards more coherent, government-led and development-anchored approaches. But the primary challenge now is one of scale. Most IDPs still lack access to sustained development support. Solutions remain the exception, not the norm. And the gap now is less about frameworks and more about consistent delivery at the country level. So 3 priorities will be key to closing that gap, and I think some of our briefers and speakers have touched on these already. So the first is strong alignment with international financial institutions. We need to ensure that development financing is systematically accessible to host governments and integrated well into national planning. A whole financing approach which mobilizes domestic, international, public, and private resources, will be critical to meeting the scale of this challenge. Second, properly embedding solutions within development planning and cooperation frameworks, so that IDPs are treated as a core development priority and not a parallel humanitarian issue. And this includes tackling the structural barriers that prevent IDPs from accessing services, housing, and livelihoods. Thank you. Third, data and evidence. Continued investment in data and evidence to guide decision-making and demonstrate results so that we can scale what works. Chair, the UK remains committed to supporting this agenda through our partnerships, our funding to the Solutions Fund, and our support to Solutions Advisors. Together, we have demonstrated demonstrated that in a small number of priority contexts, coherent, coordinated approaches can achieve durable solutions and outcomes for displaced people and host communities. Now we need to scale. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I'd like now to give the floor to the other member of the Champions on Durable Solutions within the UN, International Organization for Migration.

Thank you, Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, and also thank you to the esteemed panel for the insightful discussion. I'd like to also take this opportunity to acknowledge UNDP for its important convening role on behalf of the UN system in advancing the solutions agenda. Excellencies, ECOSOC is pleased to played a critical role in fostering dialogue on solutions to internal displacement, and we certainly hope from IOM that we will continue to see this space being provided so that we can continue having this learning and reflection. From our perspective, what we're seeing across contexts are the building blocks for advancing durable solutions, and that they're increasingly being put in place. We're seeing national strategies that integrate internal displacement, resident coordinator-led coordination aligned with government priorities, and joint platforms bringing humanitarian development and peace actors together more coherently. But we do still have some practical reflections from the field. The first is the real test of coherence is no longer whether coordination structures exist, but whether they are sufficiently connected to decision-making, data,— and financing processes. We see this across several areas of the system, especially at the moment where we're discussing reform efforts. On coordination, structures such as the Solutions Working Groups and Integrated Operational Platforms are proving their value, and that's definitely something we want to highlight. On data, which is really critical for the work that we do as a migration agency that constantly collects data, efforts to strengthen a more coherent and interoperable data architecture are critical. Better data is not an end in itself. It enables a clearer definition of needs, stronger collective analysis, and more targeted use of limited resources. And on delivery, more integrated approaches, including through joint supply chains and shared operational systems, are beginning to reduce some of the fragmentation that we've seen and to really improve efficiency. Thank you. So, taken together, these shifts point in the right direction, but they also highlight a common challenge: ensuring that coordination, data, and delivery tools are not functioning in parallel, but are fully connected into a system that can translate priorities into financed, implementable programs at scale. This is where initiatives such as the Global Solutions Hub really has played an important role by supporting demand-driven advisory services, facilitating cross-country learning, and helping connect national priorities with system-wide expertise and practical solutions. So, allow me to conclude by reiterating IOM's full commitment to supporting governments and partners in this endeavor, working across the humanitarian, development, and peace nexus, and ensuring that no one is left behind. Thank you.

Thank you indeed. I'd like now to give the floor to the representative from Switzerland, who's going to speak on behalf of the Group of Friends on Durable Solutions to Internal Displacement. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. I have the honor, as you mentioned, to deliver the statement on behalf of the Group of Friends on Solutions to Internal Displacement, which brings together both displacement-affected and supporting member states committed to advancing durable solutions for internally displaced people. Displaced persons. We welcome today's discussion on the transition from relief to development, and particularly its focus on solutions to internal displacement. Internal displacement remains one of the most complex challenges of our time and cannot be addressed through humanitarian action alone. Durable solutions require coherent action across humanitarian, development, peacebuilding, and human rights efforts. Underpinned by strong national ownership and sustained international support. The Secretary-General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement has provided an important framework for moving from managing displacement to advancing solutions. Its emphasis on nationally-led approaches, system-wide engagement, and development financing remains highly relevant. In this context, the Group of Friends would like to highlight 5 messages. One, solutions to internal displacement must be nationally owned and locally grounded. Governments have the primary responsibility to advance solutions for their citizens, but require coherent support from the UN system, international financial institutions, donors, and civil society. Resident coordinators and humanitarian coordinators play an important role in bringing together relevant actors, around nationally-led and area-based approaches. Two, the transition from relief to development must begin as early as possible. Sustainable reductions in needs and vulnerabilities require long-term investment in resilience, recovery, services, livelihoods, governance, and social cohesion, including in areas of return. Three, humanitarian assistance —remains essential, but cannot address the structural drivers and long-term consequences of displacement on its own. Great coherence across development cooperation, peacebuilding efforts, climate and disaster risk financing, and national budgetary priorities is therefore critical. Four, development engagement in fragile settings must be better adapted to realities on the ground. Development actors and international financial institutions often face constraints that limit engagement where needs are greatest. Greater flexibility is needed to support affected communities, strengthen national systems, and accompany voluntary, safe, and dignified returns where conditions permit. Five, definitions matter. Greater operational clarity on when internal displacement ends is essential for accountability, targeting, and access to development financing. We therefore see value in continued work through forums such as EGRIS to strengthen common approaches and better connect statistics, policy, and financing. We encourage ECOSOC, the UN Development System, and Member States to continue addressing internal displacement as a core issue for transition, coherence, and sustainable development. We also welcome references to internal displacement in relevant ECOSOC processes. Chair, the Group of Friends stands ready to continue supporting dialogue, exchange, and advocacy around the implementation of the Action Agenda, including through stronger engagement with affected states, resident coordinators, development actors, and financial institutions. I thank you.

Thank you very much. To close this round of interventions from the floor, I would like to give The floor to the World Federation.

Excellencies and distinguished delegates, as we discuss internal displacement, it is important that we recognize a fundamental reality. Displacement is not simply a humanitarian challenge, it is a development challenge, a governance challenge, and ultimately a human dignity challenge. For far too often, internally displaced people remain trapped in cycles of dependency for years, sometimes decades, unable to access livelihoods, housing, education, healthcare, or legal protections. Humanitarian assistance is essential, but humanitarian aid alone cannot solve protracted displacement. We need a more holistic approach to development, one that brings together governments, humanitarian actors, development institutions, international financial institutions, civil society, and local communities around one shared objective. That is restoring dignity, resilience, and opportunity. This means moving beyond short-term relief, and investing in long-term solutions. It means integrating displacement into national development plans, strengthening local institutions, improving access to land and housing rights, and creating economic opportunities, ensuring that displaced populations are included in public services rather than a separate category. And crucially, we must also change the way that we look at affected communities. Too often, we view them as part of the problem to be managed, but in reality, working with them is part of the solution. And at a time when humanitarian needs are rising and development financing is under increasing pressure, as we spoke about this morning, we must make every dollar work harder, work better, and work smarter through stronger national ownership and whole-of-the-art financing as well. [SPEAKING JAPANESE] Before I end, I'd like to mention that tomorrow marks the first month of the Islamic calendar, a month and a time which is of particular significance for the Muslim community as they commemorate the martyrdom of someone who stood up for social justice, Hussein ibn Ali. And in a space like this where we discuss social justice, it is important to be led by role models and so I recommend that everyone reads up on this figure. Thank you.

Thank you very much to all for your insightful contributions and reflections. This is indeed an agenda where the UN Development Pillar, I think, is able to provide a big view as to how the development system should operate under UNHCR, and I say that— I take the I take the liberty to say that, because we're working under a shared leadership with agencies that are assuming a more prominent role, but bringing on board the rest of the UN country teams. We have support systems in the Global Hub hosted in D.C.O. We have groups of friends who are continuing to advocate for this pivot towards development responses., and we have country teams that are revisiting the kind of support that we provide local governments and affected communities. I would like now to invite each panelist to offer a brief concluding remark. I will ask that it be limited to 2-3 minutes, but I'm told— I have the good news that Ms. Shabnam Baloch is back online, so if you allow me, I would like to give her an opportunity to address the floor. Ms. Baloch, can you hear us?

Yes, I can hear you. Can you hear me now?

Perfectly.

Perfect.

The floor is yours.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Madam Moderator, Excellencies, distinguished panels, and delegates. Good evening. Once again, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this important discussion on durable solutions for internally displaced persons on behalf of Oxfam International. We are working alongside communities and local partners in some of the most fragile and displacement-affected contexts. From our perspective, NGOs, civil society, and women-led and women's rights organizations are not peripheral actors. They are central to how solutions are designed, implemented, and sustained on the ground. Thank you. Local actors are also often uniquely positioned to operate across the humanitarian development peace nexus, maintaining long-term relationships with affected communities and addressing immediate needs alongside recovery, social cohesion, governance, and resilience building efforts. This is essential when it comes to about durable solutions and moving beyond emergency response. Yet, too often, system still frames their role primarily as implementing partners rather than recognizing them as leading actors when it comes to shaping outcomes, accountability, and legitimacy. Strengthening durable solutions therefore requires a shift in how systems are designed and evaluated, not only improving coordination but actively enabling the participation, leadership, and influence of these actors within financing, planning, and decision-making structures. This includes ensuring that women's organizations in particular are resourced and meaningfully engaged. Thank you. Not only consulted. International systems should also avoid displacing or duplicating existing local structures and capacities in state. They should recognize local and national actors as primary responders and leaders, building on existing community-based approaches, institutions, and knowledge systems. Thank you. Where international support is needed, it should reinforce and complement local leadership rather than replace it. Funding mechanisms should also be better aligned to recognize that durable solutions require sustained investments that extend beyond humanitarian response and support long-term social, economic, and governance conditions necessary to prevent renewed displacements. Equally important is how success is defined. Durable solutions cannot be measured only in aggregate figures or administrative benchmarks. They must reflect the lived realities of affected communities, especially women and girls. Whether they can access safety, land, livelihoods, education, and dignity in practice, not just in policy. Crucially, too, the true mire of whether such solutions are durable is their sustainability across time, where people experiences renewed displacement, are forced to move multiple times due to insecurity like lack of service, climate impacts, or economic hardship, this should be understood as evidence that underlying vulnerabilities remain unresolved. Equally, progress cannot be assumed where communities lack access to clear, timely, and accessible information about their rights, available options, and the potential risks and opportunities associated with return or local integration. Durable solutions must therefore be assessed not only by whether displacement has formally ended, but by whether people are able to make informed choices and rebuild their lives in a manner that is safe and dignified, without facing pressures that could lead to renewed displacement or exclusion. Thank you. Ultimately, progress on durable solutions will depend on whether the system fully integrates local leadership and lived experiences into both decision-making and measurement of outcomes, rather than treating them as secondary considerations. Let me bring this to life through experience of Rang county of Upper Nile State in South Sudan, which today hosts refugees, returnees, internally displaced people, and host communities, and is implementing an area-based solutions strategy. The experience of RENC demonstrates why local NGOs, civil society organizations, and women-led organizations must be recognized as core actors in durable solutions rather than peripheral partners. Since the onset of the Sudan crisis, RANCC has received over 1 million arrivals and has had to move beyond an emergency responses toward a long-term vision of integration, self-reliance, and social cohesion. What is particularly notable about the RANCC durable solution strategy is that— Success is not defined simply by moving people out of transit centers. Instead, it is framed around whether people can access land, basic services, livelihoods, protection, and opportunities for peaceful coexistence with host communities. This approach offers an important lesson for the Global Durable Solutions Agenda when local actors are meaningfully engaged. They help us understand what durable solutions actually look like from the perspective of affected communities, women's organizations, community-based groups, refugee-led organizations, and local civil society actors. They are often the first ones to identify barriers that statics alone cannot capture. Thank you. Whether women feel safe accessing markets and water points, whether female-headed households can secure land and livelihoods, whether girls remain in school, or whether tensions between communities are increasing or decreasing. In RENC, community protection committees, women-led dialogues, peace committees, and community feedback mechanisms are recognized as critical parts of the durable solutions architecture. This reflects a fundamental principle: durable solutions cannot be designed for communities, they must be designed with communities. The second lesson from RENC is that we need to rethink how we measure success. Too often, our indicators focus on outputs, the number of people relocated, Shelters constructed or services delivered, these are important, but they're not sufficient. Success should also be measured through dignity, safety, social cohesion, economic inclusion, and people's own perception of whether they are rebuilding their lives and exercising greater control over their future. I'll end here. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Thank you indeed, Ms. Baloch, particularly for staying with us at what I think is a very late hour at U.N. We appreciate your perseverance. I noticed that Mr. Mazou had to leave us, and I wanted to check whether the UNHCR representative would want to start this round of concluding remarks. Thank you.

I'd be happy to. I mean, I think there was actually a very clear and coherent message emerging from this meeting. Sustainable responses for IDPs really have to be embedded in responses from the very beginning, and the blocks to do this were all raised. I mean, financing and partnerships are absolutely essential. Essential financing, as the World Bank has highlighted, has to be made to include international plans. The other essential component that was highlighted throughout is obviously the SG Action Agenda and the coordinated approach that really was a foreshadow of the whole UNAT approach. And we really see that this is beginning to work, and this is thanks to our co-champions, as IOM and UNDP have made this really solid start on providing, under the RC, a coordinated approach to IDP solutions. I also wanted to highlight what the Special Rapporteur was raising in in terms of terms of ensuring discrimination is adequately addressed as an integral part of the protection response to IDPs. And I think the issue of the focus on outcomes was also mentioned, and that is absolutely crucial in order to have— to be able to have metrics and to be able to measure the the progress that we are making.

That's it. Thank you. Thanks indeed. I'd like to give the floor now to Ms. Dimitriadou.

Thank you very much. I totally agree with the points of my UNHCR colleague. Just to go to a specific point that was raised by our colleagues from civil society, first of all, to add that, you know, I think it was very clear and we all agree the importance of national and local actors. The colleague mentioned the challenge as regards young people. Colleagues, there is 1.2 billion young people coming to the labor market in the next 10 to 15 years in emerging developing economies, and with current economic prospects, there will be jobs approximately for 400 million. So investing in infrastructure, in human capital, in policy reforms, in the private sector that generates jobs, in private capital mobilization, including IDPs, these are all very important to address poverty in a sustainable manner on a livable planet. And to the excellent point also made by our colleague from Indonesia, tailoring solutions— we're talking about comprehensive solutions and targeted solutions that address the specific needs of countries. This is very, very important. In the World Bank We use a full suite of analytics, working in partnership with the countries we support around their development agendas, and this also underpins the partnerships that we have, be it through data, through evidence, through policy support and financing. Thank you very much.

Thank you, the World Bank. Allow me to give the floor to Ms. Noda.

Thank you very much. I was very happy to hear all the comments, which I think are quite well coordinated, even without coordinating, I think. It was nice to hear those common points. First, what I would like to say is that we need to keep internal displacement family anchored in development process. We have heard it over and over. That requires government-led planning, financing, stronger institutions, access to services, livelihood, housing, et cetera, et cetera. Second, we also heard that it has to be a practical country-level support, which is required. I think Paula mentioned also that it has to be community-led process, rights-based process. I think that's an important— Thank you. Important point. And then for that, resident coordinators, UN country teams are already playing an important role, and this is not one agency's agenda, but it's now fully understood as a common agenda, common priority at the country level, but also at headquarters level, and this is So why— I hope I can say that agency coordination, interagency coordination at the HQ level also have become much easier because of this understanding and the spirit of real One UN. Third, we also need to connect this discussion more deliberately with existing intergovernmental and financing platforms. I really like the way, Christine, you mentioned that fragmented financing leads to fragmented outcomes. In this regard, I would like to really thank the funding partners of Internal Displacement Solutions Fund, IDSF. This brings many partners partners together on the ground, and I hope that you can continue your generous support on the way forward. Then, also, special thanks to the group of friends. I think you have been extremely active and supportive, both at headquarters level in Geneva, New York, as well as at the country level. This is Solutions Champions. From the Solutions Champions' perspective, ECOSOC, including the transition meeting that we are having today, is a very important space to sustain this discussion so that I hope we can continue this discussion and then keep the agenda in ECOSOC. With this, I just would like to really express our appreciation and we remain committed. Thank you.

Thank you. Now I'd like to give the floor to Ms. Knudsen from InterAction.

Moderator, and I have found this to be a very refreshing conversation, actually, with a number of echoed points both across our panel, and we did not coordinate in advance, but we do work in common cause. And I was also struck by the great alignment in shared objectives of those who took the floor today, both from civil society and from member states, that we do have a shared objective and know that we must move beyond activities, fragmentation, and more towards outcomes and cohesion. I was struck with a few of the comments around how displacement is a humanitarian priority and a development imperative, and that is something I take away with me.

Thank you.

Moving beyond managing displacement and into ensuring people, communities, societies can move beyond it, through it, to full participation, social, economic, and political life. That is our shared goal and aim, and I was certainly heartened by the consistent messages from the speakers on the strong commitments to integrated planning, making sure that solutions are embedded in integrated financial, economic, and political service planning. But I also want to come back to something the Special Rapporteur said, which is that these solutions must be co-created and designed intentionally with displaced communities themselves, with different stakeholders within that community, including youth, people living with disabilities, women, other minorities that may be among that crowd of displaced populations who really do deserve dignity, deserve non-discrimination, and that we have a way forward, and we have tested that. I appreciated the UK's comments in particular around challenging us to scale and thinking that we do have proof of concept, we do have elements where we know that progress has been made, and now our shared challenge is to scale those solutions at the systems level. I think ultimately the measure of our success is not how we are coordinated, how we are coherent, but actually if people are safer, less excluded, less discriminated, and able to rebuild their lives with dignity. Thank you.

And to conclude this round of concluding remarks, No one's better placed than the Special Rapporteur, Ms. Paula Gaviria. The floor is yours.

[SPANISH] From what I've heard, in times of scarce resources, I think the World Bank's and other support to national government is especially important. We heard that in several statements today, particularly from the United Kingdom. With a key message that we need to scale up the response. When IDPs can access jobs, services, social protection on an equal footing with their non-displaced neighbors, we can move closer to real solutions. So thank you, Georgia, Armenia, Indonesia, for sharing your experience on this. This support could focus on funding national solution strategies, particularly when the Bank has important expertise such as jobs, right to work, contribute to economy. That is where development leadership can have real impact. The second message is on local authorities and other actors. So we heard from Switzerland and fellow panelists from Oxfam, Interaction, and others of the importance of area-based approaches and local actors as core partners and not peripheral actors and beneficiaries. And this is key to ensuring IDPs are fully included in urban development plans and processes. I call on the central governments and the development partners to assist those local governments and municipalities with responding to and resolving internal displacement. And this is in line with the UN Secretary-General's Executive Committee recent recommendation on the UN system-wide approach to internal displacement. The Executive Committee highlighted that as cities and towns increasingly become frontline spaces for achieving solutions. They continue to invest— continue investment is critical, particularly in adequate housing and in strengthening the capacities of those local actors on the ground. And finally, durable solutions cannot be separated from prevention. As a representative— as the representatives of Haiti stated, emergency aid is treating the wounds, not the root causes. So, true durable solutions depend on tackling the root causes and the drivers of displacements, and we need to work on solutions from the start of a crisis, as Switzerland and the Group of Friends reminded us. With fragility, conflict, and violence on an upward trend affecting countries in all income levels, governments must do their utmost to prevent crisis and protect their populations, and where they fall, Short, they must be supported or held accountable to improve. And I just wanted to share that when I was heading the victims unit in Colombia, the victims registry kept on growing and growing. And at one point, the president of the time, Juan Manuel Santos, said to me, he said, "Paula, stop the registry from growing. It's getting too big." And I responded, "President, stop the war and the registry will stop growing." Because registries don't grow on their own, they grow because people continue to be displaced, and we need to invest far more in preventing displacement before it occurs. And finally, I want to second Shoko Noda's point that ECOSOC has increasingly proven its value as a space for dialogue, learning, and accountability on internal displacement. So we hope it will continue to highlight what works, help close those persistent gaps, and drive stronger support for country-led solutions. Thank you. Thank you. Mireia and everyone.

Well, thank you very much to all panelists for your thoughtful concluding reflections and so ably capturing the main messages for today's BRIDGE discussion. I think the marching orders, the tasks, the vision is clear and shared, and the challenge is to really scale it up where it's most needed. With this, I would like to give back the floor to Ambassador Héctor Gómez, for the closing remarks for this panel this afternoon.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues. I wish to express my most sincere thanks to the moderator and all of the panelists for the discussions today that underscored the magnitude of internal displacement in the multiple context of crises, as well as the many populations that displaced communities, as well as host communities face. So many internally displaced persons continue to face prolonged displacement and persistent barriers to housing, livelihood, services, and social inclusion. At a time when displacement is becoming increasingly protracted and crises increasing— increasingly complex, there is a clear need for stronger coordination, sustained engagement, and practical partnerships that can help connect humanitarian action with long-term recovery and development efforts. The needs and realities of internally displaced persons must be more systematically integrated into national development planning, social protection systems, livelihood programs, and broader recovery efforts. And cooperation efforts, including through sustained support for nationally owned and locally driven approaches. In this regard, continued collaboration across the United Nations system, together with international financial institutions, civil society organizations, and local actors, will be essential for this purpose. Excellencies, advancing Durable solutions for internally displaced persons is not only a humanitarian imperative, it is also a development, governance, and resilience challenge. Humanitarian assistance can help people survive and recover from immediate shocks, but durable solutions require functioning institutions, sustained investment, and long-term partnership. Today's discussion has reminded us that internally displaced persons are not defined by their displacement, They are members of communities with aspirations, capacities, and rights. Our collective responsibility is to help create the conditions in which durable solutions can become a reality. Looking ahead, it will be important to build on existing good practices and scale up practical and effective solutions. Also inclusive solutions on the long term. This will require— Thank you. Sustained political commitment, stronger alignment between displacement responses and broader national priorities, greater mobilization of development financing, and continued efforts to strengthen coordinated and coherent approaches across contexts. As we move forward into the humanitarian affairs segment, it will be important to continue translating these discussions into practical action and strengthened cooperation in support of people affected by crises and displacement.

Thank you.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, we have come to the end of the meeting on the transition from relief to development. As we conclude today's discussions, I would like to express my appreciation to all participants, panelists, and colleagues who contributed to this year's transition meeting. Today's discussions highlighted the growing pressure facing countries and communities affected by fragility, conflict, internal displacement, and repeated shocks, particularly in a context of increasingly constrained financing and rising operational demands. Throughout the discussions, participants emphasized that development pathways in crisis contexts are rarely linear. Many countries are simultaneously responding to immediate humanitarian pressures while also working to sustain recovery efforts, strengthen resilience, and advance longer-term development priorities. We heard during the first panel about the importance of reducing fragmentation and strengthening coherence across financing systems and international support mechanisms. Several interventions also emphasized the— in the second panel, the importance of practical approaches grounded in the realities facing displaced populations and communities affected by fragility, conflict, and repeated shocks. [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Speakers highlighted the importance of earlier and more sustained engagement by development actors and international financial institutions, particularly in crisis-affected settings where prolonged instability and repeated shocks continue to undermine resilience and development progress. Discussions also underscored the importance of nationally owned— and context-specific approaches, stronger coordination at country level, and more coherent engagement across humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts. Several speakers also stressed the importance of ensuring that financing instruments are more accessible, predictable, and responsive to national priorities and realities on the ground. They highlighted how stronger complementarity among development financing instruments, pooled funding mechanisms, and international support frameworks can contribute to more sustained engagement in crisis-affected settings. Excellencies, today's discussions made it evident that no single actor can address these challenges alone. Today's discussions have reinforced the importance of coherence and complementarity among all relevant actors, including continued engagement by member states and international financial institutions. Today's discussions underline the importance of moving beyond siloed approaches and strengthening coherence and complementarity across all relevant actors and financing systems. Stronger partnerships, coherent approaches, and sustained engagement across the international system will remain essential in supporting countries and communities affected by crisis and instability. The insights shared today will inform our continued work in the ECOSOC Operational Activities for Development segment and beyond, as we collectively seek to translate these discussions into more coherent and sustained support on the ground. I thank you once again for your participation and your engagement throughout today's meeting. Please allow me to give the floor back to my colleague and co-chair, His Excellency Ambassador Héctor Gómez, for the closing remarks.

Thank you very much, Ambassador. Your Excellency, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to all participants and panelists for today's thoughtful and substantive discussions during this meeting on the transition from relief to development. Today's discussions have highlighted the growing pressures facing countries and communities affected by fragility, conflict, internal displacement, and repeated shocks, particularly in a context of increasingly constrained financing and rising operational demands. We have been reminded that the crises we face today are rarely short-term emergencies followed by linear recovery processes. In many contexts, humanitarian response, recovery, and development efforts unfold simultaneously and repeatedly. requiring approaches that are flexible, coherent, and grounded in national realities. We have also heard the importance of ensuring that the needs and perspectives of internally displaced persons are more systematically integrated into national development planning, social protection systems, livelihoods programs, and broader recovery efforts. Durable solutions must be nationally owned. Locally informed, and responsive to the realities faced by displaced populations and host communities alike. Excellencies, no single actor can address these challenges alone. Stronger collaboration across humanitarian, development, and other relevant actors, together with sustained engagement by member states and international financial institutions, will remain essential. Our mandates may differ, But our success in supporting people affected by crisis is increasingly interconnected. This requires moving beyond fragmented approaches towards more practical cooperation that builds on comparative advantages and supports countries facing overlapping crises. Development actors, financing institutions, and humanitarian organizations each have distinct roles to play as part of a broader ecosystem of support. At the UN and also in member states, we don't have time to waste and we must work as quickly as possible to rethink the funding compact in order to maximize our scarce and increasingly scarce resources. There's also practical approaches. With significant changes for internally displaced persons. And many of the priorities we've had today will guide our efforts on the protection of civilians coordination and support for personnel in crisis and displacement. I thank you once again for your participation, and I hope that we can continue these important discussions on humanitarian action over the next few days, and thank you very much. Before I wrap up, I'd just like to remind participants that the opening of the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment will take place tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM in this chamber. The detailed program of the Humanitarian Affairs Segment and related side events are available on the OCHA website for the segment and on the iGov portal. Thank you. I encourage you to attend the side events which are scheduled throughout this week. So the Economic and Social Council meeting on the transition from relief to development is now concluded. The meeting is adjourned.